{"product_id":"league-of-liarsisbn-9780593112373","title":"League of Liars","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn this fantasy thriller, four teens charged with murder and caught up with the illegal use of magic band together to devise the ultimate jailbreak. Perfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eSix of Crows\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eHow to Get Away with Murder\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEver since his mother was killed, seventeen-year-old Cayder Broduck has had one goal—to see illegal users of magic brought to justice. People who carelessly use extradimensional magic for their own self-interest, without a care to the damage it does to society or those around them, deserve to be punished as far as Cayder is concerned. Because magic always has a price. So when Cayder lands a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apprentice under a premier public defender, he takes it. If he can learn all the tricks of public defense, the better he’ll be able to dismantle defense arguments when he’s a prosecutor. Then he’ll finally be able to make sure justice is served.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eBut when he meets the three criminals he’s supposed to defend, it no longer seems so black and white. They’re teenagers, like him, and their stories are . . . complicated, like his. Vardean, the prison where Cayder’s new clients are incarcerated, also happens to be at the very heart of the horrible tear in the veil between their world and another dimension—where all magic comes from.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLeague of Liars\u003c\/i\u003e is a dark and twisty mystery set in a richly-drawn world where nothing is as it seems, rife with magic, villains and danger.\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eLeague of Liars\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/u\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn Amazon Best Book of the Month – February 2022\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The plot is \u003cb\u003etwisty in satisfying ways\u003c\/b\u003e . . . [and with] \u003cb\u003eromances\u003c\/b\u003e, one steamy and one cozy, a \u003cb\u003efabulous setting\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb\u003ecomplex, nuanced characters\u003c\/b\u003e—what else could one want for a winter night’s reading?” —\u003ci\u003eThe Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003cb\u003eExpansive and original\u003c\/b\u003e worldbuilding. . . \u003cb\u003eA smart, suspenseful adventure.\u003c\/b\u003e” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Scholte’s third novel is a mash-up \u003cb\u003efantasy\/legal drama\/heist story\u003c\/b\u003e. . . The worldbuilding [is] \u003cb\u003einteresting \u003c\/b\u003e. . . [and will] keep readers wondering what will happen next and find out who—or what—is behind these murders.” —\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Scholte's latest tells a story \u003cb\u003efilled with adventure, magic, and mystery\u003c\/b\u003e, transporting readers to a whole new world filled with a magic system that incorporates the concept of shadows being dangerous and magical. The \u003cb\u003etwists and turns\u003c\/b\u003e will keep readers engaged.” —\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Blends \u003cb\u003elegal thriller\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eaction novel\u003c\/b\u003e in an exploration of morality’s gray areas . . . a mix of first- and third-person perspectives lend depth to the cast.” —\u003ci\u003ePublisher’s Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Bursting with originality and mile-a-minute action, the twists, turns and thrills kept coming!” —\u003cb\u003eAmie Kaufman\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eIlluminae\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eAurora Rising\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eLeague of Liars \u003c\/i\u003ehas everything you want in your next favorite thriller, from razor-sharp pacing to unforgettable characters and of course, the fresh and immersive world building you’ve come to know and love from Astrid Scholte. Don’t miss this twisty, heart-pounding fantasy!” —\u003cb\u003eSarah Glenn Marsh\u003c\/b\u003e, author of the Reign of the Fallen series\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Full of dark intrigue and a thrilling mystery that will ensnare you until the end, \u003ci\u003eLeague of Liars\u003c\/i\u003e is everything I love in a story. From its phenomenal crew of misfits you can’t help but root for, to its immersive and enchanting world building, Scholte’s latest will have you savoring every page.” —\u003cb\u003eAdalyn Grace\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of\u003ci\u003e All the Stars and Teeth\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eThe Vanishing Deep:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA 2022 Isinglass Teen Readers' Choice Award Long List Pick\u003cbr\u003eA 2021 Texas Tayshas Reading List Pick\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003eSpring 2020\u003c\/b\u003e Apple Most Anticipated Book\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This \u003cb\u003eriveting YA thriller\u003c\/b\u003e . . . is among the \u003cb\u003emost exciting\u003c\/b\u003e stuff being put out in the genre right now.” —\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An \u003cb\u003eimmersive\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003efast-paced\u003c\/b\u003e story about survival, grief, guilt, and second chances.” —\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Tensions [are kept] high as the characters explore a \u003cb\u003edetailed\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003einventive\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003elovingly crafted\u003c\/b\u003e world . . . the narrative’s sea legs come through \u003cb\u003edeep, resonant\u003c\/b\u003e characterizations and the characters’ intense emotional inner lives. \u003cb\u003eA seaworthy stand-alone\u003c\/b\u003e.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cu\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eFour Dead Queens\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn Indie Bestseller\u003cbr\u003eAn Amazon Best Book — March 2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Blue Spruce Book Award Nominee – 2020\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Texas Tayshas Reading List Pick – 2020\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A good, devious mix of some of \u003cb\u003ethe best fantasy and murder mystery that YA has had to offer recently\u003c\/b\u003e.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Astrid Scholte's propulsive debut YA novel checks all the boxes for \u003cb\u003ean addictive read\u003c\/b\u003e.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eRefinery29\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eFour Dead Queens\u003c\/i\u003e is \u003cb\u003ea darkly delicious tale\u003c\/b\u003e that keeps you in constant suspense. A thrilling, genre-blending book \u003cb\u003eperfect for fans of both fantasy and murder mysteries\u003c\/b\u003e. I just might be the fifth dead queen because this story—with its labyrinthine twists and turns—slayed me in every possible way.” \u003cb\u003e—\u003c\/b\u003eKerri Maniscalco, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the Stalking Jack the Ripper seriesAstrid Scholte was raised on a diet of Spielberg, Lucas and Disney, and knew she wanted to be surrounded by all things fantastical from a young age. She’s spent the last fourteen years working in film, animation and television as both an artist and a manager. Career highlights include working on James Cameron’s \u003ci\u003eAvatar\u003c\/i\u003e, Steven Spielberg’s \u003ci\u003eThe Adventures of Tintin\u003c\/i\u003e and Disney’s \u003ci\u003eMoon Girl\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eDevil Dinosaur\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her fiancé and two cats, Lilo and Mickey. Her debut young adult novel, \u003ci\u003eFour Dead Queens\u003c\/i\u003e, was an international bestseller and award winner. You can find her posting about books, cats and Disney on Twitter and Instagram @AstridScholte.\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLeta\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeta’s pale skin glowed in the moonlight as she crept through the high stalks of the torlu fields. She pocketed the bolt cutters she’d used to sever the electricity to the farm’s flood lamps and enjoyed the cool shadows that washed over her skin like a gentle caress. She’d chosen a farm on the outskirts of Ferrington, far from the main street, where the entire town had gathered for the evening. It was a sweltering summer night, and the flood lamps had made her shirt and pants stick to her skin. Not anymore.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnlike most people, Leta longed for shadows. Ever since she was a child, she’d had an affinity for the darkness. She liked that anything could be out there, a whole world full of possibilities hidden from sight. And one of those possibilities was why she was in Ferrington.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFerrington was a small rural region around three hundred miles from Downtown Kardelle, near the easternmost point of the nation. Not long after edem had first been detected, a group of farmers emigrated from the agricultural nation of Delften to plant crops and rear livestock. Ferrington was known for its mineral-rich soils, a positive side effect of edem. Crops flourished, the torlu berry in particular. Used in jams, jellies, fermented tonics and even vitamin supplements, torlu berries had become Telene’s principal agricultural export. But in the last few years, other nations had retracted their trade deals and refused all immigration requests until the Regency stopped the spread of edem.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the hundred years since the veil had been discovered, many people had fled Telene, searching for safer shores. The monarchs had provided monetary incentive for people to stay. In turn, they’d nearly bankrupted the government.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSome people, veil worshippers, believed the only solution was to master the use of edem for industry and the economy. But the monarchs refused to put society at risk and allow the veil to grow.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeta believed edem could be better understood. Ever since her mother had died, she’d taken it upon herself to know everything about the time-altering substance. And while the Regency worried itself only over what edem could do and its consequences, Leta wanted to know more about where it came from.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt school, Leta had been taught that the veil was like a tear in the world’s surface and what lay beneath was edem. That never made much sense to her; there had to be more to the veil than a liquidy pool. When her teachers provided no satisfying answers, it further fueled Leta’s fascination.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeta’s father often blamed her veil obsession on her mother. And it was true, like her mother’s, Leta’s mind never yielded. Her mother had curated a library full of books on edem theory. At night, Leta used to ask her mother to throw a blanket over the permalamp and read myths of the veil to her. Her mother would oblige, teaching her that darkness itself was nothing to fear and that edem was not as dangerous as everyone believed. She taught Leta that edem was trying to help by carrying out the wishes of the person who wielded it, and that we needed to learn how to master it rather than outright condemn it. Although she never allowed her daughter to touch edem, she merely helped Leta to be at peace with its presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Leta walked through the fields, she thought about her mother’s final moments. Had she walked this exact path? What had she been thinking of before she died? Did she have a moment of clarity, or was she terrified of what was to come? And would she be happy knowing Leta had continued her investigations?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese stories, or conspiracies—as Cayder liked to refer to them—were a connection between mother and daughter that lingered in the darkness. Investigating these stories was the only way Leta knew how to keep her mother’s memory alive. In the harsh daylight, the memory of her mother’s face was hazy. In the dark, she could still hear her voice filling her head with dark fairy tales.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeta first read about edem creatures in a book she’d borrowed from the school library, not from her mother’s collection. When she had asked her mother about the creatures that supposedly roamed the region of Ferrington at night, her mother had said they were just another tall tale.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Leta got older and continued her own investigations, she began to question whether these were tales at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeta had never wanted to visit Ferrington. For years it hurt to even think of the place that had taken her mother’s life. Then, six months ago, Leta found a piece of paper stuck in the back of one of her mother’s books. The letter detailed a sighting of an edem creature by a local farmer in Ferrington that was dated mere days before her mother had died near that farm. Leta began to wonder if there was more to her mother’s death.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHad she been attacked by one of these creatures that reportedly broke into homes in the middle of the night, searching for food—their hunger never satiated? What were the creatures, supposedly made of edem, looking for? Naysayers claimed the only things plaguing Ferrington were the windstorms that got trapped in the valley, not creatures from another world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCayder would be furious if he knew where Leta was right now, but she had to find out if there was any truth to the stories.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis time, her source was reliable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I’ll find out the truth,” Leta whispered into the black. “I promise, Mother.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith the electric buzz of the flood lamps gone, Leta could hear the swish of tails and scratching of claws as small creatures scurried through the fields. But she couldn’t hear anything unusual.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhat does an edem creature sound like, anyway?\u003c\/i\u003e she asked herself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the distance, she could see a small flicker of fire in the center of town. The town’s populace had gathered for Edemmacht—a celebration commemorating when farmers from Delften first arrived in Ferrington and discovered the rich soil. The festivities mostly included torlu berry pie competitions and drinking excessive amounts of torlu tonic around a bonfire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fire was for ceremonial purposes only; after all, flood lamps were installed in nearly every corner of the town, and the night was already blisteringly hot. Legends stated that fire would keep the edem creatures—the hullen—away. The \u003ci\u003ehullen\u003c\/i\u003e was Delft for the “living dark,” and while many locals thought the stories to be old superstition, others blamed any strange goings-on in the town on the edem creatures. Broken windows, frightened livestock, unexplainable noises at night. And the constant flickering of lights.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeta was relying on the excessive drinking at Edemmacht to ensure her plan went off without a hitch. She wouldn’t leave until she had her answers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs she approached the cage she’d set up that afternoon, she saw a small blue bird sitting inside, so still, she thought the bird was already dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I’m sorry,” she whispered, taking the bird into her gloved hands. “I don’t want to hurt you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe’d asked around town about the stories of the hullen. Most had laughed off her questions and blamed the windstorms. But one woman had told her to head to a small bar on the main street. There she would find Ritne Arden.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeta was not disappointed. The old farmer had been easy to spot, a glass of torlu tonic in his hand, sitting in the corner of the brightly lit bar, his skin like old cracked leather.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Ritne?” Leta had asked as she took the seat next to him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe man looked up slowly from his drink, his eyes bloodshot and glassy. “You come to laugh at an old man?” He spoke with a slight Delft accent, his vowels clipped.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“No, I was told you could tell me about the—”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Shhh.” He pulled her close by the crook of her arm. “Don’t say the word. It’s not safe.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeta unlatched his skeletal hands from her. “We’re safe. There’s no edem.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRitne’s eyes flashed about the bar. “I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about . . .” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “The Regency.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe nodded over to an agent who stood watch off to the side of the room.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Oh?” Leta leaned forward even though Ritne’s breath smelled like a vat of fermenting torlu berries and made her eyes water. “What about them?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe smacked his chapped lips together. “Why do you want to know?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“My mother was killed in this town seven years ago,” Leta said. “I think she was out here investigating the existence of the hullen.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Your mother worked for the Regency?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe nodded. “If these creatures are real, why are the Regency keeping them a secret?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“No one believes me.” Ritne downed the remainder of the liquid from his glass.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003ci\u003eI\u003c\/i\u003e believe you.” Although she didn’t. Not yet. She needed proof there was more to edem. More to the veil. Then her father would have to listen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRitne’s eyes lit up. “You’ve seen the hullen?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“No,” Leta admitted. “But I want to.” She needed to. She needed to make sense of \u003ci\u003ethat\u003c\/i\u003e night. The truth would make up for everything else she’d done.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRitne told her she needed to offer a sacrifice for the hullen to appear. A sacrifice of flesh, blood and bone.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat was why she was now standing in the middle of the dark, a bird in one hand, edem curling around the other.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I’m sorry,” she said again to the bird. She didn’t have a weapon, but edem would take care of that. She hoped edem would make the bird’s death as swift and as painless as possible.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe closed her eyes as the edem coiled around her free hand like a serpent.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI can do this. I can do this.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe heard the sound of an animal shrieking and a loud bang in the distance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"G.P. Putnam's Sons","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303321555173,"sku":"NP9780593112373","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593112373.jpg?v=1730753878","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/league-of-liarsisbn-9780593112373","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}